Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology

CCII Seminar on “Enhancing the Function of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) for Cancer Immunotherapy”

Date & Time

Speaker

Dr. Nicholas P Restifo

MD, Advisory Board
IMEL Biotherapeutics

Abstract

T cell exhaustion and accelerated aging is a hallmark of most tumor-specific T cells, a critical component of the immune response to tumors. Tumor-specific T cells may accumulate at tumor sites because they experience migratory arrest and remain in proximity to tumor cells but are unable to exert effective anti-tumor activity. Despite this pervasive exhaustion, TIL can trigger objective clinical responses in a broad range of malignancies, including breast, colon, bile duct, lung, and HPV-associated cancers. I will review the cell intrinsic molecular and functional correlates of clinically effective TIL. A deeper understanding of the qualities of clinically effective TIL is guiding efforts to rejuvenate and re-functionalize these cells, which includes epigenetic interventions and repair or replacement of dysfunctional mitochondrial within TIL for use in treatment-refractory malignancies.


WordPress Lightbox